Statewide According to Montana health officials, the state’s total number of known cases now stands at 204,788 since the start of the pandemic. There have been 2,337,369 tests conducted. Around the state, there are 7,713 active cases. There are 154 active hospitalizations. By Monday, Jan. 10, a total of 2,921 deaths have been reported statewide. A total of 194,154 people have recovered.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled a meeting for Thursday, Jan. 20, to take public comments on updating its 2008 master plan for Fort Peck Dam and Fort Peck Reservoir. The virtual public scoping meeting starts at 7 p.m. Comments can also be submitted after the meeting through Feb. 16. The corps is responsible for operation of Fort Peck Dam and its related facilities, as well as

The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center has announced their 14th class of inductions into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. The inductees were chosen from a field of candidates nominated by the general public. Inductees are honored for their notable contributions to the history and culture of Montana. “The Hall of Fame exists to honor those who have made an impact

Montana State University Extension will offer a remote work certification course every month in 2022 except July and December. Registration for the next class closes Feb. 2. The course provides knowledge and skills for individuals who would like to transition to work from home so that they can potentially access higher paying jobs while remaining in their communities. More than 50 Montanans have taken the month-long course since it was first offered last May. Participants learn online tools common to remote work as well as skills crucial to working with a remote team, such as written communication, problem solving, time management, collaboration, goal setting, organization and accountability. The course is delivered in a self-paced, online format, which includes four discussion- based virtual workshops. “I was driving 45 minutes each way to work. I wanted to see if I could save that time and upkeep on my car by working from home,” said course participant Del Frost, who lives in Fallon. “The class taught me that it is such a different outlook to work remotely. There is so much more you can do when you can expand from looking at just jobs in your local area.” MSU Extension faculty help guide participants through the course, then workforce counselors from Job Service of Montana help graduates find a remote job. Graduates interested in creating or expanding a remote business will have access to Accelerate Montana’s Rural Innovation Initiative at the University of Montana to help them build their business. The cost of the course is $199, and enrollment for the next class closes Feb. 2. For more information, course dates and registration information, go to msuextension.org /communitydevelopment/ remote- work-certificate.html. For more information about the Remote Work Professional Certification program, contact Tara Mastel at tara.mastel@montana.edu.

Montana Free Press With the Legislature and governor’s office both under Republican control for the first time in nearly two decades this year, lawmakers delivered Montana a raft of new laws implementing a muscular conservative agenda. Opponents, however, have taken their concerns about several of the most contentious new GOP-backed laws before the third branch of state government: the